Me and my companions

Twins one last time with my favorite girl!

 A friend of mine from college

All of us, we leave for Korea on Monday!!!

 A ton of slips that the Skousens taped to candy bars. Kay their package was huge. Two massive things of brownies and a huge back of swedish fish and a huge bag of candy with notes attached to every single one

This is the struggle I have to to go through to make my bed. My Abu eyes for the top bunk failed me and it was worst decision I ever made here at the MTC.

Okay literally this has been the greatest learning week OF MY LIFE it's so crazy the how much the Lord loves us. Okay so first last week we got to clean the Provo temple which was so cool. The sisters got to take apart the chandeliers in the sealing rooms and clean them and put them back together again. Even though we didn't get to do a session it was still so awesome and peacefully being in the temple and I loved it. Except for this one time that one of the workers got super pissed and it was way awkward all the missionaries were like we're in the temple.....anyway we also got to go in the bridesroom and it is SO PRETTY. probs won't be there for a while...and i def won't be in the provo one...hahaha okay i love you all so much. Kell your package made my week seriously people are so annoyed with me because every five seconds I'm like HEY DO YOU WANT TO SEE SOME PICTURES OF THE CUTEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD??? ugh i miss you and your kids so much i just wish i could squeeze and hug and kiss them to death!!! i am OBSESSED with that egg chapstick and how did you receive inspiration that i needed mascara??? I love you so much!! Okay more about the ridiculously cool week I had.  So Saturday afternoon was one of the best lessons that we taught to our investigator. She was new so we were teaching the first lesson and she mentioned that her sister had gotten really sick and i couldn't understand everything because it was in Korean but basically I got the idea that she didn't know why she was sick and something about faith and I felt like I should share ether 12:6 with her and talk about how sometimes things happen and we don't understand why, but this life is a trial of faith and we must first exercise faith before anything happens. and sometimes even when we exercise faith we don't see the blessings right away and we might not even see them until after we die, but they WILL come because Heavenly Father promises us that. She was crying and the Spirit was really strong and it was just a great experience. Then that night holy bacoocups cow I had the greatest experience. So our teacher did this activity with us where we went outside and kind of went to our own places and just spent a couple minutes of our time praying to the Lord and it was kind of like our own sacred grove experience. He told us to ask the Lord a question and then open our scriptures and read and ponder. It was one of the most powerful things I have experienced. THE LORD ANSWERS PRAYERS EVERYONE IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT. So I told you last week that we wrote our vision and I remember that mom and dad both said that they knew that great gifts were being prepared for me in Korea. And I knew that, but I just wasn't sure how or even if I would be able to be the missionary that the Lord wants me to me. I pleaded to know if it was Heavenly Father's will that he reveal to me some of the gifts that I would be blessed with and how I would be the missionary that He wanted me to be and IF i could be the missionary He wanted me to be. After my prayer my scriptures opened to Moroni 10 now literally my favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon and it was my answer. The chapter talked all about the gifts of the spirit that we could receive if we had the faith necessary. Seriously everything I have learned at the MTC has been centered around faith but more on that later. Anyway I knew through the Spirit that I would be able to become the missionary that Heavenly Father wanted me to be. And that I would be able to develop all the gifts listed in the chapter if I had faith and worked diligently. The gift that stuck out to me was the one that talks about beholding ministering of angels. The thing that I'm most scared about if feeling alone. Being in Korea with people who don't speak my language getting a companion that is hard for me to love and feeling completely alone. But I know that I will never be alone. Because as I am doing my work Courtney WILL be walking right there beside me holding my hand. And there will be other angels that will bear my up when I am feeling like falling down. I will be able to fulfill my vision, but only through faith on the Lord. Sometimes I wish that I could just see Courtney (I know seeking for a sign is sinning), but I knew that I didn't have to see her and I do not have to see Christ to know that they are near and that their spirits are with me. This life is a trial of our faith. So we must exercise it. The covenants and promises that we have made with the Lord WILL be fulfilled IF we have the necessary faith.  Next lesson: Becoming a missionary by elder bednar is a great talk and lead me to study about conversion. Conversion is CONTINUED faith. We will never be completely converted, but we must strive to be more converted each day. In the BD it says that conversion comes after tribulation and trial. Becoming is a gradual thing. Each day we define ourselves better and clearer. Each day we choose Christ. Each day we are converted unto this gospel a little more. Or should be at least. Ask yourself at the end of the day. How did I come unto Christ today? How am I more converted today than I was yesterday? Next lesson: Monday our lesson with our investigator was HORRIBLE. I asked her how she felt when we taught and she said that she felt guilty and she doesn't know why. what missionary wants to hear that??? It was very spiritually confusing and I just left the lesson like what just happened?? It was really discouraging and I was trying not to get down about it, but it kept nagging me. So I studied about how I would be able to answer that question. What are you supposed to tell someone who feels guilty and doesn't know why? So I studied about recognizing the Spirit and I was led to read Nephi's lament in 2 Nephi 4. Nephi talks about how he has seen all this goodness from God, but still his heart is troubled, still he feels anger, still he feels sorrow, still he yields to temptation, and why? Why is it that even when we know the greatness of God and recognize all the blessings that he has given us do we still sorrow or feel guilt? And then he says Awake my soul and rejoice! And again I was taught that everything comes down to faith. Sometimes it is our choice so sorrow or to choose happiness. Nephi commands his soul to Awake and rejoice in the goodness of god. Sometimes we must choose to rejoice, we must choose to trust and hope. There's nothing more that the Lord can do for us because we still have our agency.  Okay then on Tuesday for OUR LAST DEVOTIONAL RICHARD G. SCOTT CAME TO SPEAK TO US YES BE JEALOUS DAD. IT WAS AWESOME. aaaaand guess what he talked about? FAITH!! and prayer. The coolest thing was that he gave his apostolic blessing TWICE upon those that were learning a language that as we have FAITH we will be able to learn the language. That we will be able to receive the guidance that the Lord wants us to have and that through faith our relationship with our companions will be strengthened. It was such an amazing experience.  Okay last lesson: I was reading in the scriptures marking scripture masteries in my new cute little scriptures and I read Matthew 25 I think that says basically what you do those around you you do for the Lord. And I had always taken that to mean when we serve others we serve the Lord. But when I read it I thought. What about all the hurtful things that I do? All the little jabs at people that I make. The people I ignore or are unkind to. When I act that way towards them it is as if I am doing it to the Lord. Holy cow I was like noooo Heavenly Father why did you teach me this lesson now I'm accountable for it!! -___- but really it makes you more conscious of your actions.  I love you all and AM SO EXCITED TO CALL YOU!!! AHHHHH  love you to death. uhm what funny stuff happens. i stuff my face every night. i love the elders in my district they are like brothers. so hilarious. my companion bashed her head into this rail thing the other day at gym that was pretty funny. i am absolutely horrible at basketball. love you love you love you I'M SO EXCITED TO GO TO KOREA AHHHH!!!!  Sister Blick

 Our fam bam at the temple all together :))))

Me and some of the new sisters that came in last Wednesday. Love them!

Me and my district at the templelyyyyy

Me and my fave people that I can see every day now. my teacher saw your picture and was like who is that...? hahhahhaa

My district on the way to getting flight plans, we were super excited and then our district leader played a mean trick on us so we thought we didn't get them but actually he had them for the whole day and didn't tell us grrrrr

Me with my flight plans yayyyyyyy

HI IM GOING TO KOREA FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHH I got my flight plans last night and it was greatest thing ever we basically had a party. okaaaay let's be honest we party like every night. and by party i mean we go back to our room and stuff our faces with food. basically i have no time to write in my journal because i'm just sitting there talking and eating for most of the hour that i have to get ready. whooooops hahahaha oh well. i only have a week and half left can you believe it?!?!?!?!

 

okay i spent most of my time writing mom and dad so i'll make this quick. i love you all and i hope i get to talk to all of you before i go to korea. basically i'm super depressed that i won't get to hear from you every day through the dearelders but it's okay i'll deal. so i leave next monday morning at 2:30 in the morning wahhhh so early. and my flight leaves at 6 from SLC so hopefully I'll be able to call mom and dad then?? because the timing should be best for them then. i fly to dallas, texas first. i know so random. and i get there at 9:40 i'm not sure if it's texas time though.... then i have an hour layover and i fly straight to seoul after that. sooooo figure out when you want to talk to me and make sure that you are glued to your phones so that you don't miss my call. also there was a sister that left three weeks ago that had her family send like a cheapo pre-paid one time phone kind of them and they just loaded it up with minutes instead of my buying like a million phone cards or paying it with my debit card because i guess it's really expensive. so if any of you are smart enough...jacob...if you know what i'm talking about if you could make that happen that would be the greatest. and just have like Kris send it to me or something. also I'm the travel leader. what uuuup!!!! jk that means nothing except i have to keep an eye on 16 missionaries and make sure we don't die on the way to korea.

 

anyway this week has been hard but good. we did an activity where we thought about the missionary we wanted to be as we stepped off the plane to come home and that was really cool. At the mission conference on Sunday we talked about how we are literally taking Christ's place. We are preaching Hi gospel because He is not down here doing it himself. And i know that should be like super obvious but i never really thought about it that way. Am I doing/teaching/saying the things that Christ would do if He were down here teaching? Because that's our duty as members. To share the light and joy of the restored gospel because Christ is not down here doing it himself. Are we representing the Lord well? I know that seems overwhelming it definitly was to me, but I also studied a lot about faith this week. And really everything in life comes down to faith that's why it's such an important concept to understand and such an important attribute to strive for and develop throughout life. I think about the bajillion plus weaknesses I have and get overwhelmed with how I'm ever supposed to do this, but it comes down to me having faith that even though I have weaknesses, the Lord will give me strength (if i humble myself of course) to over come them. The Lord seriously gives us everything we need. He gives us weaknesses but he also gives us strengths and strength to overcome our weaknesses. My teacher is inspired and shared Matthew 15:22-28 with us and how at first it seems like the Lord is ignoring her and isn't listening to her cries for help. But it was because He ws trying her faith. And only after she continued to cry unto God was she granted her desire. Sometimes it seems like Heavenly Father isn't answering our prayers, but that's because we expect Him to answer them five seconds after we ask them. This whole life is a trial of our faith. And if we have faith that God will answer our prayers, He will. But we must have faith first. It's not he answers our prayers and then we have more faith. It's we have faith FIRST and then He will bless. Kind of like the Brother of Jared. If you read in the scriptures. It says that the stones were lighted and THEN the veil was lifted and he saw God's finger. It was only after he had faith that he saw the finger of God and then His whole being. So have faith!!

 

Love you tons and tons and tons. Thanks sisters for your package. I love the anchor!!!! In PMG it says that hope is the anchor of the soul. PERFECT. Love you tons and tons again....

 

Sister Blickenstaff

I only have one more week at the MTC so make the letters good!!!!!

And send me a phone

Our first baptism!

All of us at the baptism

The Korean sisters that were here. They are so cute and made me even more excited to go to Korea even though I don't speak the language!

 Me with a bunch of the Sisters that left. I love them all!

 The Korean Elders are sooooo hilarious I love them all 

 These two were in my ward at BYU. He's going to Australia, Korean speaking and she's going to Seoul

Me and the Jahsue going super far apart 

 Me being super ugly next to mom and dad. Literally every time I go past there I'm like HEY EVERYONE WANT TO SEE MY PARENTS????

Me and a friend from high school

 Us and the Jahsue. Turns out Sister H knows him too

Hi my lumpy armpit is back

helllloooooo my beautiful family!!

 

okay i legit have no idea what to say because i can't even believe that a whole has passed by already and i don't remember really what happened....it's going by so crazy fast. i will get my flight plans next week and I'M SO EXCITED I WANT TO BE IN KOREA ALREADY. I love it here so much and I am so happy it's great. Can't believe I've been here for so long but at the same time it feels like I've been here foooorreeevveeeerrrrr and i am so ready to go. Seriously the food is slowly killing me I think. I miss mom's and kelly's food soooooo much. Oh sorry for the late shoutout kell for the AMAZING CUPCAKES (are you happy now??? hahaha) sorry i was super sick that weekend and was totally out of it so that's why you didn't get honorified sooner. Thanks kris for the happy package. The watermelon popcorn was super weird but the caramel corn was so deliciously unhealthy. Basically I'm getting to be a fatty pants because I eat so much crap but don't worry I work out hardcore now so it's all good. haha except I recently discovered that I love playing volleyball with our zone even though I am ridiculously horrible at it. So that doesn't really give me a work out except it kind of does because mostly i just dance around the whole time. also there's a rule about no dancing at the mtc what is that about? So my district is officially the oldest district because the group older than us left on Monday. It was super sad because there were like a million of them and they were all hilarious but I'm glad because that means I am that much closer to going to korea yaayyyyyy.

 

The baptism on Saturday was an AMAZING EXPERIENCE oh my gosh it was great. The girl that was getting baptized was beyond happy and her excitement just filled the room. I haven't been to a baptism in so long and it was so amazing!! I was so happy for her and it was so awesome to see that she was making that step closer to Christ and to see how happy that made her. She was beaming with light and it was the coolest thing ever. It made me so excited to go to Korea and start sharing the gospel! I only taught her once and I was so happy I can't even imagine what my joy will be like when one of my own investigators gets baptized. Ah the gospel is the greatest thing ever.

 

On Sunday I watched a talk by Elder Bednar called Character of Christ which was literally the greatest thing I ever heard even though it made me feel like I am the farthest thing away from Christ ever. But everyone in the whole world should watch it. It talks about studying the character of Christ and when we think about Christ do we know about Him or do we know of Him? Christ's whole character was about turning outwards and serving those around Him. Even in His darkest hours He turned outward to the people. Even when he was on the cross suffering because of what the people did to Him what did He say? Father forgive them for they know not what they do. He was pleading for their forgiveness in the midst of His darkest sufferings. That's what's so hard is that it's so easy to be selfish and focus on ourselves and what do I want what do I need? But Christ turns outward and thinks of other people first. Elder bednar said that if you look for yourself you will never find yourself. But if you serve others, you will find yourself without even knowing it. Sometimes I just wish that i had all the time in the world to sit down and read the scriptures nonstop for hours on end so that I could study more about Christ, but right now I have the opportunity to serve others every day. I hope that on my mission I learn to care more about others than I care about myself. Learn to love others more than I love myself because that is what Christ did.

 

Also read a talk about Hope by James E. Faust which was really good too. I think it was given in like 1999 or something maybe I don't remember. Anyway I love you all. Thank you all for your letters and love. I miss you all but I want to go to Korea. Pray for me still! Love you to death

 

Sister Blickenstaff